2-63 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

**Volume 2, Chapter 63 ~ The Excessiveness of Moderation** The task of the class representative was to exhibit the elegance, talent, and prowess of the students of Carey Liman Academy in front of the delegation from the Fanguang Holy Church. There was supposed to be a showcase, a sort of performance by the class representatives. As part of this, Wenny was supposed to spar against one of his peers. It was likely he’d end up against Esifis. However, the church delegation politely declined the performance, citing exhaustion from their journey. They retreated to the side hall to rest. That suited Wenny just fine. Those aged oranges wouldn’t be entertained by the show, and he didn’t feel like fighting anyway. If he were paired with Esifis, given how he had been pestering her lately, she surely wouldn’t hold back. Being publicly beaten by her again would be humiliating. The last time during combat class, she had come close to turning him into a laughingstock like Vanessa. Despite being in the top 23 of his class, he still cared about his image. Besides, just standing there and gaining credits and a salary boost wasn't bad at all. What the Fanguang Holy Church discussed with the upper echelons of Carey Liman Academy, Wenny neither knew nor needed to know. His objectives were fulfilled, and as a minor character, he didn't need to get involved any further. It seemed to be another day of immense victory for young master Wenny. Not only did he earn money and credits, but he also maintained his façade enough for the church to dismiss their suspicions of him, successfully angered that old fool from the church, all achieving multiple goals at once. His virtue points even increased by fifty, from 6904 to 6954. This was thanks to Mireisia; his acting had been so overpowering that even Mireisia was left in awe. "Wenny." "Hmm? Yes?" In the Student Council President’s Office, just as Wenny thanked Mireisia and was about to leave, she stopped him. Wenny turned around, puzzled about what else Mireisia might want from him. "Isn’t there something else you want to tell me?" Mireisia called out to Wenny. After saying this cryptic line, she fell silent, avoiding his gaze, waiting for his response. ‘Virtue +20.’ ‘Current Virtue: 6974.’ What was going on now?? Was there really something else he had to tell Mireisia? Wenny was bewildered, looking at Mireisia as if she was silently saying, "You have something unfinished to discuss, so you can’t leave yet, but I won’t tell you what; you have to guess for yourself." Although Mireisia hadn’t spoken another word, Wenny felt that this was the meaning she wished to convey. Couldn't she just say directly what was on her mind? Saying it straightforwardly would make things easier for everyone. Why make him guess? If he guessed wrong, someone would be unhappy. It was odd, truly baffling. A strange feeling crossed Wenny's mind; he felt like he was navigating a lovers' quarrel. No, no, this must be an illusion. He knew well enough that while Mireisia appeared to be a decisive royal, she had her moments of internal conflict, particularly when it came to being somewhat tsundere. Wenny fell silent, pondering Mireisia’s intentions, trying to solve the 'puzzle' she had given him. Honestly, this was more torturous than solving math problems. Math at least had logic; Mireisia’s thoughts were entirely devoid of traceable logic. How was he supposed to know what she meant by stopping him and what specific matter she wanted him to address? Was it an important matter? It probably was, or Mireisia wouldn’t have deliberately stopped him yet said nothing. But if it were truly crucial, it likely wasn’t about a dire issue, or Mireisia wouldn’t have left him guessing, refusing to speak plainly. In important matters, Mireisia was decisive and efficient, so this must be trivial to the wider world but important to her. Wenny furrowed his brows, convinced he had identified some blind spots in his analysis, yet he was still without many clues. This was incredibly difficult to guess, with no hints whatsoever. He wished Mireisia would provide hints, otherwise, this guessing game was impossible. He resigned himself to either asking for a clue or telling her straight out he had nothing more to say. But a hunch warned him that if he dared say that, things would escalate beyond repair. "...Ah, I understand, indeed there was something I wanted to tell you." After thinking long and hard, a thought struck him like a light bulb moment. "Oh, look at me, how could I have forgotten?" Mireisia remained silent, shifting her gaze, appearing as though waiting for an explanation, her lips pressing together slightly. ‘Virtue +30.’ ‘Current Virtue: 7004.’ "The steak you treated me to last time was absolutely delicious. It was the best steak I have ever had. It was so delightfully delicious! I realized it wasn't fair to just enjoy it for myself and forget to treat you back. I feel really bad about that." "This time, I remember. Next time, I’ll treat you at that same place," Wenny expressed, even though it would be a pricey affair, gritting his teeth at the expense. Such high-end restaurants could easily cost a few silver coins, Wenny didn’t know if he could afford it but still resolved to fork out the fee. Even if they were childhood friends, and even though Mireisia lacked nothing, he shouldn’t take advantage of her generosity, as it could distance them. Wenny was certain that what Mireisia wanted to discuss, albeit hesitantly, was this. “……” Listening to Wenny, Mireisia experienced a roller-coaster of emotions, settling into an age-old silence, unable to say a word for a long time. ‘Virtue +200.’ ‘Current Virtue: 7204.’ Huh? Even if he guessed Mireisia’s intentions, that couldn’t possibly result in a virtue increase of 200 points, could it? Isn’t that too much? While marveling at his own cleverness, Wenny felt something was slightly amiss. “What do you think, Mireisia?” Wenny asked again. Mireisia remained silent. Could it be that she was embarrassed by the expense? Wenny wondered confusedly. What Wenny didn’t realize, however, was that Mireisia was left speechless, unsure of what to say. With just a few words, Wenny had left her with mixed feelings, in a silent quandary, her language ability rendered useless, caught in a maelstrom of contradictions. Wenny frowned; could she be moved by the fact that he remembered that meal? Yes, his insightful guesswork, as the 'Idea Master of Examiner,' seemed quite plausible. "Oh, by the way, Mireisia, I need to tell you something. You know that girl with the platinum cross eyes, Luna, right? She’s a second-year student like you," Wenny suddenly brought up. ‘Virtue +50.’ ‘Current Virtue: 7254.’ "…What about her? Are you interested?" Mireisia's tone cooled noticeably. Huh? What was this? Why did asking about Luna also grant virtue points? "No, no, I’m not interested in her. I just discovered something; she seems to be a scion of the Haukai family." Wenny missed the chill in Mireisia's voice as he continued. "You know, Haukai is an illustrious family within the Fanguang Holy Church." "Isn’t that great? Her approaching you indicates she’s interested in you, the descendant of the Fasylis family," Mireisia replied, with a hint of acidity in her words. "Wenny, what are you talking about? How could I possibly get close to these prominent families of the Fanguang Holy Church? I’m more eager to avoid them," Wenny explained, perplexed by Mireisia’s sudden strange tone. But unintentionally, his explanation perfectly aligned with her thoughts. "Are you saying you’re not interested in her?" "Interested in what? She’s from the Haukkai family. I want to stay as far away from her as possible, never get close. Otherwise, what do you think I was doing before? My previous actions were partly a show for her," Wenny clarified. "All those actions were for her to see?" Mireisia raised an intrigued eyebrow, referring to Wenny’s antics of publicly showcasing experiments with a professional yet absurd commitment. "Yes, exactly. All just a performance to solidify my persona, making them relax their guard against me. What else did you think it was?" Wenny replied with a certain righteousness. ‘Virtue +100.’ ‘Current Virtue: 7354.’ Weird, why did his virtue increase again? Did he say something that provoked Mireisia’s emotions? Wenny’s brows furrowed deeper. The fluctuation in his virtue points seemed erratic and unfathomable. Either there was an issue with the virtue system or something was up with Mireisia. Why would such an ordinary statement trigger emotional reactions from Mireisia? Wenny couldn’t figure it out. "Even if you say so now, was that truly what you thought at the time?" Mireisia spoke after a brief pause, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes, though she still turned her head away, the golden pigtails swaying with her movement. "How is it not what I thought? I'm telling you, it is. Otherwise, I’d swear to the heavens—if it wasn’t, may I be intercepted by the Fanguang Holy Church when I step outside tomorrow, and then—" Wenny’s vow was abruptly halted by Mireisia. "Alright, enough. I believe you." ‘Virtue +50.’ ‘Current Virtue: 7404.’ Gosh, the increase is getting harder to comprehend. It feels like every conversation with Mireisia automatically grants him virtue over time. "So, why did you bring her up?" Mireisia’s tone softened, reverting to its usual state. It clearly wasn’t the same as before. Sigh, it’s baffling, truly baffling. Wenny shook his head. Women’s hearts are like needles in the depths of the sea; who could guess what she was thinking before? "This is rather awkward," Wenny sighed. He certainly couldn’t tell Mireisia that due to a bout of overspending on card pulls, he was forced to work at Vanessa’s maid café under a female guise, could he? That was undeniably blackmail-worthy history. Naturally, the fewer people who knew about it, the better—even if that person was his trusted childhood friend, it was best if she remained unaware. As for that wicked woman, Esifis, humph, Wenny didn’t expect her to keep quiet about it. After all, she had no evidence, and he’d simply deny it if necessary. Fortunately, he wasn’t a public figure, nor would he ever become one with considerable influence. Otherwise, such a scandal would undoubtedly result in social death. "Well, there was a time at the academy when I interacted with her under a female persona. I'm worried she might have detected something," Wenny said. "Is that why she approached you?" Mireisia raised an eyebrow. "No, no, she doesn’t know about my connection with Vanessa. But whether she knows if Vanessa is a descendant of the Fasylis family is uncertain." "My point is, I'd like you to keep an eye on her since you're both second-year students." "I understand," Mireisia nodded in agreement. Entrusting Mireisia with such matters gave Wenny the utmost peace of mind. Currently, his most reliable ally was none other than Mireisia. After discussing the matter, Wenny returned home by the afternoon. Entering his room, as soon as he took off his coat, a note fell to the floor. What’s this? A note? Did he leave with such an item? Or did he forget about it? Wenny furrowed his brow slightly, picking up the note. Initially inclined to discard it, he noticed it was intricately wrapped—it seemed intentionally so. Something was odd. Feeling a peculiar curiosity, Wenny opened the note, discovering words upon it. On the pure white paper were a few large words printed magically, their origin untraceable. ‘The Excessiveness of Moderation.’ "???" What does this mean? What is this? Holding the note, Wenny tilted his head in confusion. As he read the message, the writing vanished in a flash, leaving behind a blank sheet of paper.